


Even Fairytales Must Come To An End

by Sealure



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka trains Luke, And Leia, Gen, Original Trilogy with Ahsoka, Spoilers for Rebels: Twilight of the Apprentice, They drive the Empire nuts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25535263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sealure/pseuds/Sealure
Summary: Everyone else is gone. Ahsoka is alone. But she's still fighting, if only because she doesn't know how to do anything else. She just has nothing left to fight for. But the Force isn't done with her yet.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 40





	1. As One Story Ends

Ahsoka limped deeper into the Sith Temple. One arm was wrapped around her waist, supporting her broken ribs and the burn that ran across her stomach. Her other arm was stretched out in front of her to make sure she didn't actually crash into anything.

But the pain in her body was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

Anakin was alive, and yet he wasn't. She had spoken the truth—her Master would _never_ do anything as vile as the things that Vader had done, and yet…It was her Master. Rather, it was the broken, burned, empty shell of the man she once called Master. He was her friend, her brother. Him, Obi-Wan, Padme, and Ahsoka—in spite of all the contradictions in their little group, they'd been a family. And they'd been a _good_ one.

Ahsoka herself was the little sister. She made sure the others never gave up, never lost hope. She made sure they laughed and smiled enough. She fought beside them, argued with them, and cried with them. She made sure that Anakin didn't take too many risks in battles, and she made sure that Obi-Wan didn't get himself killed trying to get everyone else out alive. She took care of her men most of all. At the Temple, Ahsoka had learned how to dreamwalk. She could enter the dreams of her men. If it was a nightmare, she could change it. If it was peaceful, she would make sure that it lasted. With Padme, Ahsoka could act like the young girl that she really was, which also gave Padme a break from the world of politics.

Padme, the older sister/mother. She took care of all of them. She made sure Anakin slept enough when they got back from a campaign that they'd lost and nightmares tormented him. She made sure Obi-Wan actually ate when he was running himself into the ground trying to save everyone. She made sure Ahsoka knew that it was ok to fall apart sometimes, and she never turned her away. She was the one Ahsoka went to when she just wanted to be _normal_ for a day. Padme would take her shopping, or out to eat, or even out sightseeing. Something utterly unnecessary and irrelevant, yet it was always exactly what she needed. Padme was the closest thing she'd ever had to a mother. And Padme had loved her—Ahsoka had doubted many things, but that had never been one of them.

Anakin was the brother. He pulled pranks on Obi-Wan with Ahsoka, and teased Padme almost as much. He also loved the beautiful Senator, but Ahsoka hadn't known that till later. Anakin taught her how to fight, how to read a situation in a heartbeat, and how to come up with a battle strategy in less than ten minutes. He taught her that a man's loyalty will last far longer than his fear. That's why all of their clones had _names,_ not _numbers._ That's why the 501st rarely lost a man and even more rarely lost a battle. Anakin taught her how to live life outside the Temple. He taught her almost everything she knew. He was an irreplaceable paragon of strength and love. And he did love her—he cherished her and protected her. Against the Code or not, Anakin loved his family.

And Obi-Wan…Obi-Wan held them all together. Without him, they would fall apart—as the whole Rako Hardeen incident proved. He kept Anakin sane, and firmly in the Light. He was the only one of them who could really understand Padme's political frustrations, being the famous Negotiator himself. And to Ahsoka, he was a little bit of everything: a father, a comforter, confidant, and friend. He was the one to teach Ahsoka how to dreamwalk. He was a constant, unwavering presence in her life. He was always willing to sit down with a cup of tea and listen to whatever she wanted to babble about. He was gentle and warm and kind. And when someone he cared about was in danger, it would take more than the entire Separatist fleet to stop him.

 _How?_ Ahsoka thought, stumbling over a piece of rubble. _How did we come to this?_

Padme— _dead._

Obi-Wan— _dead._

Anakin— _lost._

Ahsoka— _alone._

They had been so _happy…._

But all stories must come to an end—even the fairytales.

She felt something in her heart break as that last thought filtered into her mind.

_But over yet, your story is not, Young One._

She gasped, stumbling to a stop. "Master Yoda?!"

There was no response.

"Master?!"

Silence.

Ahsoka spun in a circle, eyes probing everywhere, reaching out with the Force. But she neither saw nor sensed the diminutive Master anywhere.

His words seemed to echo in the silent darkness of the Temple: _But over yet, your story is not…_

And Ahsoka Tano raised her head. She rose to her full height and started walking—back to the Light.

_My story is not over yet._

_I am still alive._

_And I will_ _**never** _ _give up hope._

* * *

Ahsoka leaned against the back wall of Mos Eisley Cantina. All around her beings of all manner shouted and laughed and screamed. Bottles smashed and brawls broke out and ended in the same moment. And Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes determinedly played on in the background.

She shook her head, a rueful smile tugging at her mouth. Of all the places for her to end up, it had to be Tatooine. So many memories, of everything from her first crash—sorry, _landing_ —with Anakin, to lugging Stinky the Hutt all the way across this dustball, to the pain in her Master's eyes when he thought about his life here.

This was _not_ where she'd wanted to come, but the Inquisitor's ship she had taken from Malachor had run out of fuel less than a parsec away. She'd started laughing when she saw what the nearest planet was, and she'd laughed until she realized she was crying. She landed the wretched ship and sold it to the first being she saw, a Jawa that was trying to pick the pocket of a Whiphid.

She sighed, swirling her drink absentmindedly in one hand. She was still wearing her armor, but she'd altered it a fair bit, adding some Mandalorian pieces—Fulcrum was still very much wanted by the Empire, and she had no doubt that Vader would have put out her description to go with it. There was nothing she could do to hide her shape, but she could and had used cosmetics to alter her facial markings, and—with great difficulty—she'd died the blue stripes on her lekku a dull gold color. She wore eye-filters that made her eyes a rich green, much the same color as her old lightsaber.

So, in short, no one who knew her would actually recognize her. And she could hide her Force-presence easily—she'd been doing _that_ for the better part of twelve years. She kept the cosmetics, extra eye-filters, and dye in a satchel slung over her shoulder.

She sighed again, then leaped out of the way as an Ithorian and a Rhodian crashed into her table, slugging it out.

"Watch it!" she snarled, flashing her sharp teeth at them.

They glowered at her, but moved off. She righted her chair and sank back into it. She didn't like being so harsh—it wasn't really her nature, but she knew how to blend in, and she knew that in a place like this, she'd be killed if she didn't. So, bounty hunter persona it was. No one in their right mind questioned a bounty hunter. She had a blaster strapped to each thigh and two vibroblades strapped across her shoulders to complete the image.

She tossed the rest of her drink back in one go, then made her way out of the Cantina, leaving her glass on the bar. She stepped out into the blazing heat of the twin suns, tilting her head back and basking in the light for a brief moment while she decided what to do next.

If she could get to Alderaan, Bail would help her. No doubt about it. The problem would lay in getting there without getting caught by Imperials. And to get _anywhere,_ she was going to need a ship.

"Or," she muttered to herself, starting off down the street. "I could just do what most normal people do, and buy a ticket on a public transport."

That would work. She could just slide out through a maintenance hatch to avoid the Imperial inspection that would no doubt occur once they reached the planet's surface. It wasn't like she hadn't done it be—

What was that?

Her head jerked up as a hot wind blasted by.

That feeling…The Force was leading her somewhere. Automatically, she started following it, moving faster and faster until she was running. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to get there. She settled herself into a steady run that she could maintain for days—Togruta stamina was such a blessing at times, and she could sustain herself with the Force. She would run as long as she needed to.

* * *

With her Force-enhanced speed, Ahsoka reached her goal in just under two days. She _had_ run into a few groups of Sand People, but all she had to do was ignite one of the lightsabers that she kept hidden on her person, and they scattered in terror. She felt a bit guilty after the second group, because they'd had a child with them, and he'd screamed and fallen in his desperate rush to get away from her. But she would much rather them be terrified of her than dead because of her.

The real issue had been the Krayt dragon, asleep in the sand. At least, it _had_ been asleep—until she tripped over it. Hey, it was an honest mistake. The thing was the same color as the sand, and as large and long as the average dune. Anyone would have missed it.

But all that unpleasantness aside, her target appeared to be a simple hut in the middle of Jundland Waste. She stayed behind a tall dune and carefully scoped it out. She didn't see any obvious security, but that didn't mean there wasn't any.

The Force impatiently nudged her again. So whatever she was after was in that hut. She sighed, then shrugged and dropped down from the ridge. Oh, well. Might as well just knock. It was hardly the stupidest thing she'd done in her life.

She hesitated by the door, then took a deep breath and opened her mind just a bit, enough to sense whoever was inside.

The brilliant Force-presence inside was so warm and familiar and full of Light that her mouth opened and tears sprang to her eyes. She felt his shock as he recognized her presence, and a few seconds later the door flew open and Master Obi-Wan was _alive._

She stared at him through eyes full of tears, unable to even speak. He stared back at her, and unless that was just her blurry vision, there were tears in his eyes, too.

She let out a sob and leaped forward, burying her head in his shoulder like she had so many times as a Padawan. His arms immediately wrapped around her, just as strong and unwavering as they always had been. He rested his own head on her shoulder, and this time she got the feeling that she was comforting him just as much as he was her.

"Master….." she choked out. "I thought you were _dead_!"

The arms around her tightened, and Obi-Wan's warm, rich voice with his Core-worlds accent washed over her like a memory.

"I am here, Little One."

She cried harder at the affectionate nickname, and her legs gave out. He didn't let go of her, just sank to the ground with her. She felt drops hitting her shoulder, and tightened her hold on him.

* * *

Ahsoka didn't know how long they stayed there, weeping together in the sand as the twin suns cycled by overhead, but when she finally pulled herself together and sat up, the suns were at the horizon.

Obi-Wan took deep breath and rose to his feet, pulling her up with him. He held her at arm's length, looking her up and down. He raised an eyebrow.

"A bounty hunter, Ahsoka? Really?"

She snorted, and the snippy response was out of her mouth before she could even think about it. "Oh, shut it, Hardeen."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and Ahsoka's hands clamped over her mouth, but before she could apologize, the Jedi Master doubled over in laughter. Ahsoka's lips twitched, and then she joined him, laughing until they had to lean against each other to stay upright.

"Oh, it is so good to see you, Ahsoka!" Obi-Wan gasped, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "I have missed your sense of humor."

She stifled her last few snickers, and wiped her own face. "Same to you, Master."

"Ahsoka," he gave her a fondly exasperated look. "You don't have to call me that anymore."

She offered a sheepish grin. "Sorry. Habit."

He shook his head and gently tugged on one of her lekku, just like he had when she was a young girl.

It made her smile, _really_ smile, in a way that she hadn't in a very long time.

"Well, come in," Obi-Wan opened the door and led her into his home. "It's not much, but I am the only one who's been here for twelve years, so….."

"It's wonderful, Mas—Obi-Wan."

And it was. It was simple, but very homey. Just as welcoming as his quarters in the Temple had always been. He led her to the kitchen, and she flopped gracelessly into a chair while he bustled about, gathering all the familiar ingredients for his tea—the only tea in the galaxy that Anakin would actually drink. (And he loved it, no matter how much he complained about it.)

_Anakin…_

Obi-Wan caught the shift in her mood. "Ahsoka?"

She stared at her lap. "I saw him."

Obi-Wan crouched down in front of her. "Saw who?"

She closed her eyes. "Anakin." It hurt to say.

Obi-Wan froze. "Ah."

" _He tried to kill me_ ," she choked out.

Obi-Wan sighed, and Ahsoka looked at him— _really_ looked at him. He looked _tired._ There were lines around his eyes, and his hair and beard were already gray. She reached out and traced the crease in his forehead, the one that always showed up when he was stressed, worried, or afraid. "What _happened_ , Master?"

* * *

When Obi-Wan felt a nudge in the Force, he thought that maybe Luke was coming to visit. Then he felt a presence that he hadn't felt in over a decade. Vibrant and full of light, but much more shadowed than he remembered it.

Ahsoka Tano.

He'd fairly flown to the door and thrown it open and there she was.

Her facial markings had been altered. Her lekku were gold and white instead of blue and white, and her eyes were green instead of blue, but it was undoubtedly her. There was a blaster on each leg and a vibroblade strapped to each shoulder, and extra power packs for the blasters at her waist where there _should_ have been lightsabers, but the Togruta in front of him was beyond a shadow of a doubt the girl he'd once considered his daughter.

And she'd been in tears. Then she'd leapt at him and clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her upright. She _had_ been the only thing keeping him upright. She'd thought he was dead. He'd thought she was dead.

Obi-Wan had never been so glad to be wrong in his life.

And now she was asking what had happened.

Oh, she absolutely deserved to know. But to actually put words to the nightmares that still dogged his sleep…..It was pathetic, but Obi-Wan wasn't sure he even could. Then he remembered—unlike her Master, Ahsoka had the patience required for meditation and dreamwalking. He could just show her.

He sighed and held out his hands, palms up. She instantly put hers on his, and Obi-Wan felt his heart warm at the simple trust she still placed in him.

"This will not be pleasant," he warned softly.

She gave him a broken smile. "I know."

He reached out to her through the Force, and she lowered her shields. He pulled her into his mind, and dug through his memories until he found that nightmare of fire and ash and pain—Mustafar.

* * *

Ahsoka opened her eyes and her mouth dropped open.

"Mustafar?!" she yelped. "I _hate_ this planet!"

Obi-Wan gave a strangled laugh from her left. "As do I. Though I suspect for very different reasons."

She swallowed hard.

Then a door opened to her left, and she turned to see a figure wrapped in a dark cloak step out of the compound. She got a glimpse inside the door just before it closed, and gagged. She turned away from the pile of smoldering bodies and looked towards the cloaked being, now standing against the railing and looking out over the lifeless planet. He stood motionless, almost lifeless himself.

Dread sank into Ahsoka's heart. She glanced at Obi-Wan, who had his Negotiator face on. But his eyes gave him away. Whirling pools of grey full of pain and regret.

Ahsoka swallowed hard and took a step towards the figure, then another and another until she could see under the hood. She closed her eyes for a moment, then forced them open and _made_ herself stare into the face of the one she'd once called brother.

Anakin's eyes were a sick, blazing yellow. His skin was deathly white, and there were dark shadows under his eyes. He looked _dead._ A single tear slid down his face, dropped off his chin, and burst into a million fragments on the ground.

Ahsoka let out a low moan of grief.

_Oh, Skyguy…_

Obi-Wan gently clasped her shoulder, but his hand was trembling, and Ahsoka knew this was hurting him just as much as it was going to hurt her.

Obi-Wan didn't let go of her as she saw Padme's ship arrive. Didn't let go as Padme started backing away in fear of what Anakin had become. Didn't let go when his past self appeared at the top of the boarding ramp and Anakin started _strangling Padme._ Didn't let go when Padme collapsed and didn't move. Didn't let go as Master and Apprentice, Father and Son, battled up and down, left and right, never stopping.

And then…..

" _It's over, Anakin! I have the high ground! Give it up!"_

Ahsoka whimpered. "He won't. Master, _he won't do it!_ "

Sure enough, Anakin gathered himself to leap, and Obi-Wan's hand on her shoulder finally faltered. He turned away, and Ahsoka let him. She didn't want to see this either. But she had to. So she backed up until her back was pressed against Obi-Wan's. He was trembling. She reached until she found his hand again, and squeezed it tight.

Anakin leapt.

Obi-Wan's lightsaber flashed.

And Ahsoka _screamed._

" _You were the Chosen One!"_ Obi-Wan shouted. _"You were destined to_ _destroy_ _the Sith, not_ _join_ _them!"_

Ahsoka sobbed.

" _You never understood me!"_ Anakin roared.

" _YOU WERE MY BROTHER!"_ Obi-Wan screamed, tears streaming down his face. _"I LOVED YOU!"_

" _I—HATE—YOU!"_

Ahsoka doubled up with a choked cry as Anakin's face, twisted and distorted beyond all recognition glared at Obi-Wan with nothing but hate and malice and vengeance.

Then he caught fire, and as Ahsoka crashed to her knees she couldn't tell which one of them was screaming louder.

Because she'd _felt that._ That searing, unimaginable, all-consuming _agony ripping_ through her mind and body. She'd straight up collapsed, scaring everything out of Rex. After they had escaped the devastation of Order 66, Rex had told her that she'd been utterly unresponsive for two days.

She watched Obi-Wan stagger to the ship, lifting Padme into his arms and running up the ramp with her.

She wept when she saw him collapse as soon as she was safe, and fall apart. She turned to the present Obi-Wan and threw herself into his arms again and they held each other _tight._ She didn't let go as she watched them arrive at the medical center, to be met by Master Yoda and Senator Organa.

She felt fear sink its claws into her heart when Padme began to fail.

"No…."

She heard the droid give the death sentence, but she refused to believe it. _She'll pull through,_ she thought desperately. _She always does._

But then she _didn't,_ and Ahsoka _howled_ in soul-wrenching grief as the last member of their little family _died._

She fell silent after a while, and Obi-Wan just kept holding her as she watched Luke and Leia be placed in a crib together. They reached out for each other, and started burbling in that language that only babies know. Leia whimpered, and Luke grabbed her tiny hand with his tiny hand and Ahsoka was _sobbing_ because she could _see_ her Master in that beautiful, sweet little boy. Leia smiled and laughed, and Ahsoka saw Padme's smile. She found herself smiling even as she cried because she had something else to live for now. Two somethings. She would protect the children of her Master. Even if that meant protecting them from _him._

Ahsoka Tano dried her tears and rose to her feet as she watched the twins be separated and hidden on opposite sides of the galaxy.

She watched as Luke grew into an adorable child with bleached hair _and crystal blue eyes and she almost started crying again when she saw that lopsided grin._

She watched until the memories came to an end, and Obi-Wan gently guided her back to her own mind.

* * *

They straightened from their meditative poses on the floor and pulled themselves back up into their chairs and Ahsoka gave a slightly hysterical laugh.

"Karabast," she said, shaking her head. "That was…" She snorted again and swiped at her eyes. "That was a bloody kriffing _nightmare._ "

Obi-Wan gave a snort of utterly humorless laughter. "I couldn't have said it better." He ran a hand over his own eyes.

"Hey," Ahsoka sniffed, nudging him with her foot. "This wasn't your fault, you know that, right?"

Obi-Wan smiled at her, but it was hollow and broken. "No, Ahsoka, it _was_ my fault."

She shook her head. "No," she said softly. "You did the best you could, Master. You _know_ you did."

"He had been growing distant," Obi-Wan said, eyes unfocusing. "Growing darker, harsher, more prone to outbursts of anger and violence. I tried, Ahsoka, I swear I tried, but….." he closed his eyes. "It wasn't enough."

Ahsoka reached out and grabbed his hand. "I kept him balanced," she said shakily. "Remember?"

Obi-Wan looked at her with his tired, grey eyes. "Yes," he said, a tiny hint of a smile pulling one corner of his mouth. "He was always lighter when he was with you."

Ahsoka bit her lip, _hard._ "I left him," she said. "I took that balance with me, and I _rocked_ his trust and belief in the Jedi. Had I stayed, made an effort to let go of my pain and anger like I _should_ have—"

"No, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan cut her off. "You are not to blame for this."

"But can you look me in the eye and tell me that I didn't contribute to it?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Tears flooded her eyes. "Exactly. I took my light with me when I knew it was one of the only things keeping him sane."

Obi-Wan's eyes glittered with pain. "Oh, Little One," he murmured. "What I wouldn't give that you would never have to bear this."

Ahsoka would forever deny the childlike whimper that escaped her. "I would give _anything,"_ she whispered back just as fiercely, "if it meant _you_ wouldn't have had to bear this, either." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'll make you a deal," she said.

A slightly more genuine smile lit Obi-Wan's face. "A bounty hunter, indeed," he teased, and she had to snort.

"I won't drown myself in guilt for the part I played in Anakin's fall if—and only if—you don't drown _yourself_ in guilt for the part that you played." She pinned him with a sharp glare so reminiscent of Padme's that Obi-Wan's mouth dropped open.

She held out her hand with a challenging look.

The old General sighed and shook her hand. "Deal."

She smiled at him. "Good."

He shook his head at her and pulled on her lekku, but rose to his feet to finish the tea. She could feel that his presence had lightened significantly. The pain would never fully go away, she knew that. But it had been lessened, and that was good enough for her.

* * *

Two and a half standard weeks after finding Obi-Wan, Ahsoka found herself on Alderaan. Like she'd suspected, she'd had to use a maintenance hatch to get off the transport unseen. Yes, her disguise was good. Yes, it would probably hold up under scrutiny. No, she didn't want to test that theory.

So sneaking around it was. She moved casually through the streets, counting Stormtroopers. There weren't that many. Most of the guards that she saw were native Alderaanians. She couldn't hide her smirk. Bail was still resisting the Empire.

She looked up at the beautiful, towering structure that was the palace—and the workplace of her longtime friend, Bail Organa. With her agility and the convenient architecture, going up would be a breeze. Going up without getting caught, on the other hand…

Ahsoka was pretty sure that that would have been a good thought to have had _before_ she was halfway up the building.

But she made it, and no one was the wiser. She hoped.

_Now to find Bail…_

She crept down the hallways, oh-so-cautiously extending her mind to find the Senator's familiar presence. At this time of day, he should be just finishing up and fixing to—there! He was in a hangar bay only two halls away from her. Putting her speed to good use, Ahsoka raced to the hangar. Bail was standing a few meters from the door, talking with a group of mechanics. Using the Force to conceal herself, the Togruta kept low to the ground as she darted across the open space and up the boarding ramp.

She carefully snuck towards the cockpit of the ship, but the pilot hadn't boarded yet. Ahsoka eyed the empty pilot's seat, an idea growing in her mind.

_I shouldn't._

A wicked grin spread across her features.

 _I_ _really_ _shouldn't._

She heard footsteps on the ramp, and hid herself in a corner. The pilot walked in and sat himself at the controls.

_I'm going to do it, aren't I?_

Before she could talk herself out of it, she gave the pilot a _strong_ sleep suggestion and gently moved him to the copilot's seat. Then she slid into the pilot's chair and powered up the engines. She could hear the clueless Senator in the back whistling cheerfully as he boarded the shuttle and settled in for the journey.

Ahsoka bit her lip to stifle her laughter as she guided the shuttle out of the hangar and into the Alderaan airways.

_Yep. I did it._

"Ilyr?" Bail called from the back. "You missed the turn!"

Ahsoka couldn't help it anymore. She burst out laughing and spun the chair around, basking in Bail's utterly shocked face. "Sorry, Senator!" she desperately bit back her laughter. "But you might have to give me directions!"

Bail's mouth was open and his eyes were wide as dinner plates. "Wha—who—how—"

And Ahsoka burst into peals of laughter again.

_Anakin would have been proud._

Bail straightened, face growing stern. "I don't know who you are, but it would be wise to—"

"Oh, duh!" Ahsoka gently smacked herself on the forehead. Of _course_ he wouldn't recognize her. That was the point of the disguise. "Bail, it's me. It's Ahsoka."

The Senator froze and stared at her hard, seeking familiarity in the strange features. He seemed to find it because he gave a great laugh of his own and reached out to engulf her in his arms. "It's so good to see you, Fulcrum! We thought that you were dead! It's been over three weeks since we had any communication with you, and the Ghost crew have been keeping their heads down."

She clung back for only a moment. "Sorry, Bail. I got a little distracted." Her eyes glittering with joy, she whispered, "I found Obi-Wan."

He sucked in a sharp breath. "How—"

She raised an eye marking. "I may not be a Jedi, but I _can_ still use the Force."

Bail rubbed the back of his neck. "Right." He grew serious. "So you know?"

Her shoulders dropped. "About Anakin?" she sighed. "Yes. That's why I've been off the radar so long—I ran into him, and had to find a place to heal. I didn't mean to land on Tatooine, but my ship ran out of fuel. The Force led me to Obi-Wan, and he put me back together."

Bail's eyes widened. "You _survived_ an encounter with Vader?!"

She closed her eyes. "He let me go," she whispered, "because I reminded him of a promise that he made me many years ago."

Bail rested his hands on her shoulders gently. "What promise was that?"

She looked up at him. "That he would never hurt me."

Bail's eyes filled with sorrow, and if Ahsoka's were just this side of too shiny, he didn't say anything about it. He squeezed her shoulders once, then said, "So would you mind waking my pilot? I'd rather he didn't wake on his own and think I was being kidnapped by a bounty hunter."

He raised a stern eyebrow at her and she offered a sheepish grin. "Sorry?"

He laughed again and assured her it was fine.

Ten minutes later, she was hidden in the engine compartment, and they were on their way to Bail's home—and her Master's daughter.

* * *

The shuttle landed smoothly, and Bail distracted the pilot while Ahsoka slipped out of the ship. He joined her a few minutes later, and led her to the sitting room of his and Breha's home. They had made a good plan: Bail and Breha had been discussing getting Leia some self-defense training, and they would tell the princess that Ahsoka was her mentor. The Togruta was more than qualified for the job, and she had willingly agreed to do it. It would give her a chance to get to know her Master's daughter.

Bail gestured to a sofa near a window.

"Please, make yourself at home. I'll be back in just a moment," he said, and walked out.

Ahsoka gazed out the window, reveling in the deep blue skies, clean air, and distant purple mountains. Alderaan was a truly beautiful place. It had been so long since she'd been anywhere with _life,_ not the sandpit of Tatooine and the ashy plains of Malachor.

She was so caught up in the view, she didn't hear the almost silent footsteps until it was too late.

"Who are you?"

Startled, the Togruta whirled around, hands dropping to her lightsabers. They were clipped to the backside of her blaster holsters, so to anyone else, it looked like she was going for her blasters. But she quickly lifted her hands on seeing a young girl, maybe twelve years of age, standing in the doorway.

Ahsoka had to do a double take when she saw the girl's face, though. And suddenly, she knew exactly who stood before her.

She looked just like her mother.

_Oh, Padme. You'd be so proud of her….._

The girl held herself with all the regal bearing of her mother, with the exact same strength, intelligence, and courage in her eyes that had made Padme Amidala so _brilliant_.

Leia Organa was _beautiful._

Ahsoka realized she'd been staring when Leia asked again, "Who are you?" without the slightest hint of impatience. Oh, a politician indeed. Ahsoka couldn't _wait_ to meet her brother.

She swallowed hard and shook her head slightly to make herself focus. She opened her mouth to speak when Bail came back into the room with Breha sweeping behind him.

"Ah, Leia. There you are," he said briskly. "Now, as you know, we've been discussing getting someone to train you to defend yourself. We have thought it over long and hard, and have decided that this is a necessary risk." As he spoke he made a quick hand gesture to Leia, and the girl nodded. Without missing a beat, she walked over to the desk that sat in the corner and pressed a piece of scrollwork on the edge. A little compartment popped open, and she pulled out a tiny datapad. As Bail kept rambling on, switching topics to talk about some sort of tax in the lower west quadrant ( _what?!)_ , Leia quickly typed a few commands into the datapad, then gestured to the Senator, who immediately stopped talking and grinned at the by now _very_ confused Togruta.

"Sorry about that, old friend," he said. "Had to soundproof the room before anything sensitive was said."

Ahsoka felt one side of her mouth twist up in a wry smile. "How very political of you," she drawled, leaning back lazily against the wall and crossing her arms.

Bail rolled his eyes.

Breha laughed, and then stepped forward, lowering herself into a graceful curtsy. "It is good to see you again, young one."

Ahsoka bowed to her, then resumed her former position. "And you, my lady."

"Father," Leia walked over to Bail, still examining Ahsoka. "Who is she?"

"She is right here," Ahsoka said dryly, "and can speak for herself."

Leia looked a bit chagrined, but turned to address Ahsoka fully. "Who are you, and why are you here?"

Ahsoka straightened. "Ryven Kial'yr, _Your Worship_ ," she said mockingly. "Bounty hunter."

Bail gave her a searching look, and she arched an eye marking. She didn't want Leia knowing who she was just yet. He nodded slightly, then turned to Leia.

"Ryven will be your teacher," he said. "She is an excellent fighter, and a brilliant strategist."

"And a _bounty hunter,_ " Leia emphasized, looking faintly disgusted.

Ahsoka— _Ryven—_ snorted. "Everybody's gotta eat, Princess," she said, not harshly, but not particularly gently, either. "Some people get it handed to them on silver platters, and others have to pay for it themselves. To pay for food, you gotta have credits. To have credits, you gotta have a job."

"So your job is killing people," Leia scoffed, an angry light beginning to burn in her eyes.

_There you are, Anakin. I knew she couldn't be all Padme._

Ryven shrugged carelessly. "Like I said. Gotta eat somehow. But as of right now, my job is to make sure that no one else can kill you. I'll teach you how to take apart and reassemble a blaster in less than a minute, how to hit a target from a hundred meters, how to scrape together a battle plan from nothing in less than ten minutes, and how to take down opponents twice your size and weight. But listen up." She shoved off the wall and crowded into Leia's personal space. "I will _never_ take it easy on you because of who you are. As soon as you step into that training salle, you are no longer Leia Organa, Princess of Alderaan. You're just Leia, just a girl learning how to fight for her life. I will have no mercy, and I expect none in return. Respect is earned, Princess, and you've got a long way to go before you have any of mine."

Leia stared up at her, not afraid, but definitely more cautious now. Good.

Ryven arched an eye marking. "Acceptable to you?"

The princess set her jaw and nodded firmly, determination blazing in her eyes and for a moment Ryven couldn't breathe. She looked _so much like her parents_ in that moment—a perfect blend of both of them.

The moment passed, and she recovered herself. "Good." She stepped back and leaned against the wall. "Training starts tomorrow, Princess. Five AM. Don't be late."

Leia's jaw tightened, but she only nodded again and strode from the room.

Bail watched her go and then turned back to the Togruta, eyes wide. "Where did that come from?"

Ahsoka shrugged. "That's the persona I created," she said. "Ryven Kial'yr, bounty hunter. Twenty-nine standard years old, formerly of Kiros before she was captured by Zygerrian slavers as a child. They sold her to a lowlife smuggler that dragged her to Nar Shadaa, where she learned to survive by necessity. Grew up street fighting, got picked up by a spice smuggler who saw her potential. He taught her to fly and fight, and they worked together until he got killed during a job gone bad. She became a bounty hunter to get revenge and now she's just doing the best she can." She shrugged again. "It's an airtight backstory because there's a million more out there just like it."

Bail whistled. "That's impressive, Ahsoka."

She laughed. "Thank you!"

Breha stepped forward and gently rested a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. "I believe this shall fall on deaf ears—"she smiled wryly, "—as it probably should—but please, do not be too hard on her."

Ahsoka's eyes clouded, and she took Breha's hand in both of hers. "I will not give her more than she can handle, but I will push her to her breaking point. The galaxy out there is cold and cruel and will do everything it can to break her. My job is to make sure that doesn't happen. And I cannot do that by coddling her."

Breha nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out. She offered the younger woman a gentle smile and stepped back beside her husband.

"While I've got you here," Ahsoka said slowly, "I have to ask. Does she know?"

"That we are not her biological parents?" Bail asked.

Ahsoka nodded.

"Yes, she knows." Breha cut in. "We would never keep that from her."

Bail nodded in agreement. "She deserved to know. We told her when she turned ten."

Ahsoka swallowed hard. "Does she know who they are?"

The couple shook their heads. "Do you think she should?" Breha asked.

Ahsoka stared out the window again. She leaned against the sill and absently drummed her fingers against one of her blasters. "Yes."

Bail took his wife's hand, and they had a quick silent conversation. Then the Senator stepped forward and placed both hands on Ahsoka's shoulders. "Ahsoka, we trust you more than almost anyone else in the galaxy right now. We trust you to tell Leia what you—and the Force—believe she needs to know."

Ahsoka stared at them for a moment, speechless. The she snapped out of it. "This I swear to you now," she said solemnly, locking eyes with first one, then the other. "I will do everything in my power to make sure that Leia does not come to harm in any way. I failed my Master, and I failed his wife. I _will not_ fail their children." Her eyes burned with conviction.

Bail clasped her forearm. "I know you won't."

He and Breha turned to leave.

"Oh, and one last thing," Ahsoka called after them.

They turned to look back at her, and she let a smirk steal across her altered features. "Better get used to calling me Ryven."

* * *

Leia was sitting at her desk with a datapad in front of her, but her mind was far from the text on the screen. That Togrutan bounty hunter was much more interesting than _"Victories of The Grand Republic Army: The Battles of Geonosis."_

With her tall stature and elegant frame, Ryven Kial'yr cut a striking figure. And her parents knew her, which was clear from her mother's greeting: " _It's good to see you again, young one,"_ and her father's statement: _"_ _Sorry about that, old friend."_

Leia propped her chin in her hands.

It was odd, that she had been able to startle her. When Leia had first walked into the room, the woman had been gazing out the window with such a sorrowful look on her face that Leia almost felt like crying. Then Leia had opened her mouth, and the Togruta had been off the sofa, across the room and poised by an exit with her hands at her weapons in less than three seconds.

She had moved with all the grace of a predator, utterly soundless. Her green eyes were razor sharp and scanning everything in the room for a threat. When those eyes, cold and analytic, raked over _her,_ Leia would freely admit that she'd seriously considered just backing out of the room. Then the bounty hunter had pulled a double take and just stared at her as though she had sprouted three heads.

The look on her face then had been curious to say the least. An interesting mix between joy, loss, amusement, and grief.

Then Father had told her that this was her teacher. Leia's scornful response had been mostly true, but part of it had been a test—she wanted to see what the other would do. And she had to admit, the bounty hunter had risen to the challenge quite brilliantly. Her response had been equal parts alarming and daring.

Ryven Kial'yr.

This would be interesting.

* * *

Her parents came in before she went to sleep to talk with her a bit about her lessons, and after nearly ten minutes of chitchat, her father finally broached the subject of the bounty hunter.

"Ryven has been a good friend to us, Leia," he said. "Her profession doesn't change that. She is loyal to a fault, and I honestly believe that she is the best teacher for you that we could have hoped for."

"How did you get in touch with her, anyway?" Leia asked.

Breha laughed softly. "We got lucky," she said. "Ryven dropped by for an unexpected visit. We took the opportunity to ask her opinion on getting you these lessons, and she strongly supported it. We asked her if she would mind doing it herself, and she accepted. I must admit that it's a weight off my heart to know that you are in such trustworthy hands."

Leia nodded. Then she frowned. "When she saw me for the first time, she froze and got this really odd look on her face. Do you know what that was all about?"

Her parents exchanged a look, and her father turned away with pain in his face. Her mother took her hand, but there were tears in her eyes. "Ryven knew your parents, Leia."

Leia's eyes widened, and she shot upright. " _What?!"_

Bail turned back, composure regained. "Ryven knew both of your biological parents very well. They were practically family. Their deaths—"he closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "It nearly destroyed her. And you look very much like your mother. She probably was just shocked by it—this is the first time she's seen you."

Leia leaned back against her pillow, mind racing. "Do you think—"she swallowed hard. "Do you think she'd tell me about them, if I asked?"

Breha smiled and tucked a flyaway lock of dark hair behind her ear. "We've given her permission to tell you anything she thinks you ought to know."

"Really?!" Leia was practically bouncing.

"However," Bail cautioned, and Leia felt her excitement fade a bit. "What she said earlier, about her respect being earned and not taking it easy on you? She meant every word of that, Leia. She doesn't play games, never has."

"If I had to guess," Breha picked up the thread. "I would say that she'll use information about your parents as a reward. When you do something right, she'll tell you something else."

Leia groaned. "Great."

Bail chuckled. "Cheer up. I think you'll find that there's much you can learn from her." His eyes dimmed. "She's seen just about everything."

* * *

Leia's dreams were troubled that night.

She saw a tall, armored Togrutan woman, standing before a mechanical figure all in black. The woman wielded dual blades of pure white light, while the dark man held a single blade of red.

The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, but there was something about her that just felt broken. She had the look of one who had lost everything, and who only kept fighting because she didn't know how to do anything else ( _or maybe because she'd been fighting so long, she just didn't know how to stop)_. That look reminded Leia of Ryven. This Togruta wasn't Ryven, though—the stripes on her lekku were different, and her eyes were a shade of blue that Leia had never seen in a living being before. Her facial markings were different, too.

" _I won't leave you!"_ she said, half determined, half desperate. _"Not this time."_

The man's head came up, and Leia would have screamed if she could because that is _not_ a natural eye color. He looked shocked, and for one moment, Leia could _feel_ just how badly he wanted to take her up on her offer. His hand made a jerky movement, like he'd been about to reach out to her, and she leaned forward, ready to reach back in a nanosecond.

But then his eye filled with hate, and he activated his blade again. In the bloody light, he looked like a creature that had crawled straight out of the Sith Hells.

" _Then you will_ _die."_

Leia saw the Togruta stagger back, desperate denial in her face. She saw her protecting a young boy who was shouting a name that she couldn't hear. She watched in amazement as the Togruta and the dark man clashed, their magnificent battle raging all over the ruins they were in. She saw how the man finally overpowered her, and how she refused to cower before him. Instead, she said something that broke Leia's heart:

" _You promised that you would never hurt me."_

The man raised his blade, the Togruta's eyes filled with a soul-deep agony, and Leia woke up sobbing.

* * *

Three doors down, Ahsoka shot upright, her desperate cry of "Master!" still ringing in the still air of the room. She sank back down and curled into a ball, unable to stop the tears that were streaming from her eyes.

* * *

The next morning, a maid bustled into Leia's room, waking her up at four.

Leia cracked open an eye. "…Eirtae?"

"Yes, Milady," the woman answered, laying out some clothes.

"Why am I awake at four o'clock in the morning?"

Eirtae bit back a smile. "Because your first lesson with Lady Kial'yr begins at five, milady."

Leia's eyes flew open and she all but fell out of bed, dancing across the room on one foot as she tried to fix her hair and get dressed at the same time.

Eirtae laughed and caught her as she tripped over her pants. "Calm down, milady."

In less than ten minutes, the maid had her hair braided and pinned to her head in a practical—and rather lovely—coronet, and she was dressed in a sturdy but comfortable tunic, pants, and boots.

"Thank you, Eirtae!" Leia called as she fairly flew out of the room.

"You are so much like your mother," whispered the maid. Then, still smiling, she set about straightening up the room.

* * *

When Leia skidded to a stop outside the door of the training salle, she was still full half an hour early. She wanted to make a good impression on Ryven. She wasn't sure why, but there was this nagging _feeling_ that there was more to her than meets the eye.

She took a deep breath to compose herself, then opened the door.

The Togruta was already there, sitting cross-legged in the center of the floor.

"Come sit opposite me." Her rich voice echoed in the empty room.

Silently, Leia did what she was told. When she was settled, Ryven opened her brilliant green eyes.

"I don't particularly care for political terms or honorifics, so just call me Ryven. I won't be calling you by any of your titles, either, because for the next four hours, you are a nobody. Got it?"

Leia nodded.

"Good." Ryven rose to her feet, Leia following suit.

They walked to the center of the floor, and Ryven planted herself about ten feet away from Leia. "Attack me."

Leia blinked. "What?"

"Attack me," Ryven repeated. "If I'm going to teach you, I need to know how your mind works and what you're capable of. So attack me."

Leia's eyes narrowed. _She asked for it._

Three seconds later, she found herself flat on her back, staring at the ceiling and gasping for air.

"Hm." Ryven leaned over her, a blank look on her face. "Again."

Leia dragged herself to her feet, shook her head a couple times, and tried again.

_Thud._

"Again."

_Thud._

"Again."

_Thud._

"Again."

Leia groaned. "Are you just going to pound me into the floor or are you actually going to teach me?!"

Ryven smiled, but there was no joy or humor in it. It was hard and unforgiving, and her eyes were cold. "I am teaching you the most important lesson you will ever learn. When you are knocked down, again and again and _again,_ " she stepped forward and grabbed Leia's chin in her hand, forcing the princess to meet her eyes. " _You get back up every single time._ No matter what."

Leia swallowed hard and nodded.

The bounty hunter released her, looking satisfied.

"Again."

* * *

And that was how things went for the next two years: Leia would drag herself from her bed, stagger down the halls until she found the right salle, and train with Ryven until nine in the morning.

After that, she had breakfast with her parents. Ryven joined them sometimes, and in those little unguarded moments, Leia could see glimpses of an innocent, bright, loving spirit that the Togruta had all but buried beneath her armor and blasters and cold indifference.

After breakfast, she had her other classes—training to be a Senator was a ridiculous amount of work. Those classes stretched through the rest of the morning hours, and continued until nearly six in the evening.

At that point, Ryven would come find her and drag her to the salle for another two hours of training, and then release her for dinner and bed.

It was incredibly difficult, but she managed.

At the beginning, the bounty hunter was as indifferent as she had been the first day. But bit by bit, she started to open up, cracking jokes and making Leia laugh with her snarky wit and deadpan sarcasm. Leia began to see her as more than a task master. She began to see her as a friend. They started to tease each other at mealtimes, and Ryven often tagged along to her other classes—several of which she knew a surprising amount about, especially negotiations. She became less of a task master, less of a teacher, and more of a mentor, a member of their family.

When she was with her, Leia felt safe and loved, and her parents were relaxed and happy. But the best part that was sometimes, when she'd be poking fun at Leia or mocking some stuffed-up son of a kowakian monkey-lizard—sorry, _politician_ —Ryven's smile would actually reach her brilliant green eyes and they would _shine._

And then one day at morning training, during one of the precious few breaks that Ryven allowed her, Leia's mind was wandering, and the question was out of her mouth before she could think better of it.

"What was my mother's name?"

Ryven's canteen slipped from her fingers, but the bounty hunter easily caught it before it hit the ground. Her green eyes abruptly unfocused, and she sat down hard on the bench beside Leia.

"I'm sorry!" the girl said contritely. "I didn't mean to say it!"

"No," Ryven murmured. Her voice wavered, and she cleared her throat. "No," she said again, her voice recovering its usual smooth tones. "You deserve to know." The bounty hunter was silent for a long moment, and then, "Her name was Padme Naberrie." She said it so softly that Leia almost didn't hear her.

"Padme….." the girl whispered.

The bounty hunter offered a tiny smile. "But most of the galaxy knew her as Senator Amidala of Naboo."

Leia's eyes widened. "She was a Senator, too?!"

Ryven's smile wasn't small this time. It was wide and warm and bright. "She was one of the best. She was fiery and brave and determined. She had the kindest heart, and she was absolutely _beautiful_." The Togruta turned to face her. "You look so much like her," she whispered, gently tugging on a flyaway strand of dark hair.

And unexpectedly, Leia felt tears spring to her eyes. "Thank you," she managed. "That's the most that anyone's ever told me about her."

Ryven's eyes filled with sorrow, and she rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. She squeezed lightly, and Leia unashamedly wiped her eyes. "I wish I could have met her."

"Oh, she would have _loved_ you," Ryven grinned. "You two would have bored the rest of us to _tears_ with all your political spiel."

Leia laughed. "It's not that bad!" she objected. "And besides, you're not exactly bad at politics yourself!"

A more nostalgic smile crept over the woman's face. "Who do you think taught me?"

Leia stared at her. "Really?"

"Yep." Ryven huffed softly. "She always told me it was like teaching a Bantha how to pilot a starcruiser, but she never gave up on me."

Leia giggled.

"And all teasing aside," the bounty hunter met the girl's eyes. "She _would_ have loved you with all of her soul, Leia."

Leia's smile turned bittersweet as tears stung her eyes again. She tried to force them away, but they started escaping and Ryven just wrapped her in her arms.

Leia broke down on her shoulder, and they stayed there for a while.

(And if, when they pulled away, Leia's shoulder was just a bit damp too—well, surely it was just her imagination.)

* * *

Ryven knocked gently on the door of Bail's office.

"Enter," he called.

She slipped inside and flopped into the chair in front of his desk.

Bail looked up. "Ryven," he smiled. "What can I do for you?"

She took a breath. "Requesting a leave of absence for an unknown amount of time."

"Granted," Bail said immediately, though his brow was furrowed. "Is this sensitive information, or can I know where?"

Ryven gave him a sad smile. "You can't tell what you don't know, Bail."

"Ah." He nodded. "In that case, I wish you safe travels, and that you return to us safely." He hesitated. "Leia's training…."

Ryven leaned forward and steepled her fingers, a habit she'd picked up from her grandmaster that she'd never been able to fully shake. "Leia is as well prepared as she's going to be until she actually sees action. She'll be elected Senator of Alderaan in the next eight months, I've seen that."

Bail's eyes widened, and his face split into a grin. "Truly?! That's fantastic!"

Ryven grinned, then sobered again. "But I've taught her everything I can without telling her more than she needs to know right now. I need to run some things by a friend of mine who has more authority in the matter."

So it had something to do with the Rebellion. Bail nodded to show his understanding. "What about her presence?" That had been a concern—almost as soon as she'd arrived, Ryven had told them that Leia was Force-sensitive, and that her presence was very similar to Padme's. The Togruta had immediately begun using her own power to hide the girl.

"I've made a Force-shield around it," Ryven answered. "It will conceal her true presence from anyone who would be searching for it. And if anyone does try to sense her through the Force, they won't feel Ahsoka Tano's signature—it will be Ryven Kial'yr's, and no one knows her. Leia is as safe as I can make her, but now I need to arrange for someone to do the same for the other half of the coin."

Bail sucked in a sharp breath. "You mean to make sure that Luke receives the same training."

"If I can," she said. "First, I have to check back in with some other old friends, and give them the much-overdue news that I'm actually alive." She cringed. "That's not gonna be pleasant."

"Good luck with that." Bail's eyes twinkled. "I daresay that Leia is actually going to miss you dragging her out of bed, tying her up in her own sheets and dragging her to the training salle over your shoulder."

Ryven huffed. "I only do it when she's late."

Bail laughed. "Get out of here," he said, playfully throwing a sheet of flimsi at her. "Before you cause anymore chaos in my home!"

Laughing, she ducked the flimsi and bolted to the door. Just before her hand touched the controls, though, she paused.

"That's where I'm going," she said softly.

Bail grew quiet, realizing how much trust she was putting in him.

She half-turned and offered him a tiny, hopeful smile. "I'm going home."

His eyes cleared. "Obi-Wan," he murmured.

Her smile widened, and she nodded. "I'll have my comlink," she assured him. "If you need me, you can reach me."

Bail nodded. "Make sure to tell him hello for me," he said. "Oh, and I'm not telling Leia."

Ryven snorted. "Coward. Don't worry, I'll do it tonight at evening practice."

* * *

The air whooshed out of Leia's lungs as a killing blow connected with her chest and she impacted with the floor mats. The fourteen year old groaned as her mentor's grinning face appeared upside-down in her line of view.

"That was excellent! You did well, Leia."

"Yeah," she huffed. "So well I died."

Ryven snickered as she pulled the girl to her feet. "So dramatic." The Togruta threw a water bottle at her, and Leia returned the grin as she sank gratefully onto the bench, gulping the water.

"But truthfully, you did well. That bout was almost an hour long."

Leia's eyes widened. "Seriously?!"

Ryven laughed. "Yes, seriously! You did _extremely_ well, Leia."

Then the Togruta did something that struck the girl speechless. She rose gracefully to her feet, faced Leia, and _bowed_ to her.

"I have taught you all I can," she said softly. "And you have excelled—just as I knew you could. Well done, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan."

Leia's mouth dropped open.

Ryven straightened with a proud smile and dropped onto the bench beside her. "I'm shipping out tomorrow morning."

"What?!" Leia turned sharply to face her. "Why?!"

The woman tousled her hair. "Chill, Princess. I've got a job. And no," she added, seeing Leia's mouth opening, "I'm not going to kill anyone."

"Good," the girl said firmly. Then she bit her lip, looking down at the floor.

"Hey," Ryven said gently, crouching in front of her and grasping her hands. "I'll come back. Face it, Princess: you're stuck with me for the rest of your miserable, inconsequential little life."

Leia gave a watery laugh and dove into her mentor's arms, hiding her face in her shoulder.

Ryven held her for a long time.

* * *

Bail, Breha, and Leia accompanied Ryven to the spaceport the next morning to see her off. The Senator had found a nondescript freighter that was still in pretty good shape for the Togruta to take on her journey. Everything was ready.

There was just one problem—Leia had wrapped her arms around Ryven's waist and was refusing to let go.

"Leia, honey, I've got to go," the bounty hunter said, torn between laughing and asking Bail for a pry bar to get the kid _off._

"I don't want you to," came the rebellious mutter from somewhere near Ryven's collarbone.

The woman sighed and hugged the girl back. "Look, Princess, I'm coming back." She knelt and lightly shook the girl, making sure she was looking her in the eye. "I. Am. Coming. Back. I _promise._ But I've got a job, and you have Senator training that you're already late for. So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to make you a deal. You work as hard as you can and become Senator of Alderaan, and I'll be here to congratulate you. Deal?"

Leia sniffed. "Promise you'll be here?"

Ryven's eyes softened, and she pressed their foreheads together briefly. "I promise."

Leia nodded. "Deal."

She stuck out her hand, and Ryven grasped her forearm before rising to her feet again. The bounty hunter exchanged embraces and farewells with Leia's parents, then slung her pack over her shoulder and strode up the boarding ramp of her ship. It rose steadily into the air, and soon they couldn't see it anymore.

Leia leaned against Breha. "She didn't even look back."

Bail rested a hand on her shoulder. "She never does."

* * *

Ryven was staring at the blue streaks of hyperspace. Leaving Leia felt like leaving a piece of her soul behind. She would miss her, but Ryven knew that the next part of Leia's journey was out of her jurisdiction. And besides, she would be seeing her again soon.

She'd promised.

Her ship shuddered as it dropped out of hyperspace, and Tatooine was before her yet again.

Two days and some odd hours later, she dropped gracefully from a ridge in front of an old hut in the middle of Jundland Waste. The smell of tea was wafting through the air, and the Jedi turned Grey turned Rebel turned Bounty Hunter smiled.

She was home.


	2. Another Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One twin is safe. But there's another Skywalker out there. And this one...well, let's just say he takes after his father.

* * *

Ryven stared up at the old hut, the scent of tea wafting towards her in the evening air. She rapped quickly on the door, and a minute later, Obi-Wan opened it.

"Ahsoka!" he exclaimed warmly.

She laughed and hugged him. "I haven't heard that name in over two years, Obi-Wan," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Ah. Ryven Kial'yr, isn't it?"

She gave a sharp smile, and he snorted.

"Yes, yes. You are fearsome and not to be challenged. Now get in here and eat something, for Force's sake! You look like you haven't had a proper meal since you left!"

Ryven— _Ahsoka—_ threw back her head and laughed as the old Master all but dragged her in the door.

* * *

Ryven told her old friend all about the two years she'd spent training Leia. Obi-Wan was very pleased. Then she put forward her plan to train Luke, and that got instant approval.

"I've been dropping hints about it for years now," he told her. "But Owen won't hear of it."

Her mouth thinned. "We can't afford to lose any more time, Obi-Wan."

He studied her. "You've seen something."

"Bits and pieces, but enough to know that the kid needs to know more than he does right now."

Obi-Wan nodded, and didn't press. "Alright then. He needs to meet Ahsoka first, not Ryven."

She tilted her head. "How come?"

He grinned at her. "Because I've been telling him stories. About a man named Anakin, a woman named Padme, and a girl called Ahsoka."

She groaned. "Master!"

Obi-Wan laughed. "I promise, I haven't made you into some untouchable paragon of power and perfection. But he knows that Anakin is his father, Padme his mother, and Ahsoka basically his aunt. I haven't told him about Vader yet, but I'm planning on it."

Ryven nodded. "That sounds like a plan." She snorted. "But with our track record, I'm pretty sure something is going to blow up in our faces pretty soon."

"Oh, undoubtedly." Obi-Wan's eyes twinkled. "Just give it a while. After all, Luke is a Skywalker."

Ryven burst out laughing. "Force help us all!"

* * *

That night, Ryven slipped into the fresher and spent nearly two hours removing all the cosmetics and dye from her person. Obi-Wan had to help her get it off her back lekku. She took out the eye filters and threw them away, and stood like that, back to the mirror, for a very long time.

"Ahsoka?" Obi-Wan asked gently.

She bit her lip, then took a deep breath and spun to face herself for the first time in two years.

Ahsoka Tano stared back, blue eyes still burning with that unquenchable will to survive.

Obi-Wan clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Welcome back."

She grinned. "It's good to _be_ back."

* * *

Two days later, Luke came to visit.

They heard the old speeder pull up out front, the engine sputtering and clunking in a way that made Ahsoka cringe. "That thing needs so much help," she groaned.

Obi-Wan stared at her. "You haven't even seen it yet!"

"I don't need to! Just listening to it is making my teeth grind."

Obi-Wan dropped his face into his hand with a dramatic sigh.

She slapped his shoulder and went back to the datapad in her hand as Obi-Wan ( _Ben._ It was Ben now, she had to get used to that) went to open the door.

"Ben!" the fourteen year old gave a lopsided smile that had Ahsoka's heart twisting.

_By the Force, Anakin, he's practically your carbon copy._

The boy bounded in the door, already babbling at hyperspeed when he noticed Ahsoka and stopped short. "Who're you supposed to be?" he asked, head tilting to one side and innocent, crystal blue eyes locking onto hers.

And for a heartbeat, she felt like she'd been thrown back in time.

" _And…..who're you supposed to be?"_

Same head tilt, same eyes, same blinding, innocent _light._

Ahsoka shook her head and laughed. "By the Force, Ben, a little warning next time before you catapult me into the past!" She rose to her feet and bowed in greeting, still staring at the boy.

"Um, not to be rude or anything, but that didn't make sense and I still don't know who you are." Luke said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Relax, Kid." Ahsoka grinned at him, flopping back into her seat, and he instantly smiled back. "My name's Ahsoka Tano," she said.

His mouth dropped open and his eyes got huge. "Wait. You mean like—the one—how—Ben— _that is so cool!_ " he shouted. He shot forward to sit next to her. "So you're a Jedi? You knew my father? Did you fight in the war? Are you a pilot? How do you know Ben? Is Ahsoka your real name? Do you have a special name that you use when you're undercover? How old are you? Where are you from? Why have you neve—"

Ahsoka exploded into laughter. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she wasn't really sure if she was laughing or crying.

"By the _Force_ you remind me of your parents," she gasped, with another laugh that sounded rather sob-like.

Luke's big blue eyes filled with concern. "I didn't make you upset, did I?" he asked quickly.

She ruffled his hair. "No, no, you're fine. And yes, to answer some of your million questions. My name _is_ Ahsoka, I did used to be a Jedi, I knew your parents very well, and yes, I am a reasonably talented pilot."

Ben scoffed. "Reasonably talented? Ahsoka, you are _still_ more skilled than anyone I have ever met with the exception of your Master."

The stripes on her lekku darkened with embarrassment. "Well, he did teach me."

"Your Master?" Luke cut in. "You weren't a slave, were you? Oh, wait!" he cut himself off. "Your _Jedi_ Master?"

She nodded, and he grinned. "That was my dad! Right?"

She laughed and ruffled his hair. "Right!"

He almost bounced off the seat. "Will you teach me?"

Ahsoka froze.

"It does seem rather fitting," Ben said softly. "I taught his father, his father taught you, and you teach him."

Ahsoka felt tears sting her eyes. "If that is truly what you want….."

Luke's eyes grew serious. "It _feels_ right," he told her, "and Ben is always saying that I should trust in my feelings."

"In that case," she slid off the divan and knelt in front of the boy, clasping his hands in hers. "Luke Skywalker, it would be my honor to teach you in the ways of the Jedi, as your father taught me."

Luke's smile outshone the suns.

* * *

Ahsoka straightened and stretched, feeling her back pop. She'd been bent over the engine of Luke's speeder for the better part of the day, and she was really feeling it.

The young boy himself was still underneath the thing, babbling cheerfully about Biggs and the Imperial Academy and dreaming of the day he'd get off this dustball.

Ahsoka couldn't help but grin as Luke veered off on a tangent about how dustball was actually a very misleading term when referring to Tatooine because there wasn't really any dust. Just sand.

She loved this kid so much.

She'd been back on Tatooine for over a year and a half, and suffice to say Owen Lars had _not_ been happy to see her—and that displeasure had multiplied exponentially when she told him that Luke was going to be trained. The boy himself had been thrilled, but the deciding factor had been Beru Lars.

* * *

_Beru looked Owen in the eye and said, "How much longer are you going to try and keep a shooting star captive? The boy was made to fly, just like his father. You can try all you want, but someday, he'll be streaking through the stars, just you wait. And I, for one, refuse to try and keep him grounded any longer."_

_The woman spun on one heel and locked blazing eyes onto Ahsoka. "You teach that boy to fly," she said fervently. "You teach him to fly."_

_Ahsoka felt tears sting her eyes. "I will," she vowed hoarsely. "I swear it by the Force."_

* * *

Ahsoka's smile turned into something far more nostalgic as the memory ended. Beru's faith in Luke, and her constant, gentle presence were an incredible encouragement to the boy. His skills in the Force and with his father's lightsaber were astounding, especially since he'd been training for less than a year.

"…and the power converters might need a little help, but the cooling vents are actually working now, which means we can…..Master? _Master!"_

She jumped. "Yes?"

Luke had rolled out from under the machine and was glaring at her, but she could feel his amusement through their training bond. "Are you listening to me?"

The stripes on her lekku darkened. "No," she said sheepishly.

Luke rolled his eyes, but he was full out grinning now. "Get your head out of the clouds and pass me that hydrospanner, would you?"

She quirked an eye marking. "And is there any reason you can't get it yourself?"

"The Force isn't to be used for frivolous things," Luke parroted one of Ben's favorite sayings and gave her his best impression of his displeased look.

Ahsoka snorted. "Right," she said. "I'm just going to ignore that and say that this is an exercise in control."

Luke grinned and held out a hand. The tool zipped through the air, curved around Ahsoka, and landed neatly in his palm.

She gave him a mocking bow. "Well done, my young Padawan," she drawled.

He laughed and rolled back underneath the machine.

They worked in an easy companionship, talking and laughing and sometimes not saying anything at all.

They'd been at it for a while when Luke's uncle came through the door of the garage. He nodded politely to Ahsoka, and she returned it before kicking Luke's leg.

"Oi, Kid," she said, and saw Owen stifle a laugh as a _clang_ sounded from under the machine.

"Ow!" Luke yelped. He rolled out and gave her a rueful look, rubbing his shin. "What?!"

She grinned unrepentantly and gestured towards Owen.

The man shook his head and gave up on trying to hide his grin. "We got a message from Old Ben," he told the Togruta. "He said you should start back now unless you want to be running in the dark again."

Her eyes widened. "Is it already that late?" She leaped over the speeder with ease and bolted to a window. "Oh, kriff!" she hissed.

Luke snickered as she rushed around, quickly saying her farewells and grabbing her weapons from the rack at the door of the house—Beru flat out refused to let her have anything but her lightsabers inside. (Even though she had reclaimed her real identity, she'd grown accustomed to the vibroblades and blasters. Ben was very carefully not saying anything about it.) Beru gave her a warm hug at the door, with orders to be safe on the way home and contact them when she got there, and Owen gave her a gruff handshake.

Luke burrowed into her arms and wrapped his own around her waist. "I'll see you tomorrow, right, Master?"

She rested her chin on his head. "I still can't believe you'll be turning sixteen tomorrow."

He snorted. "Me either. I know you can't come to the actual celebration, but I can come to Ben's afterwards, right?"

She let go and teasingly thumped his forehead. "Of course you can. You can stay the night if you like, and if it's alright with your aunt and uncle."

Luke's eyes lit up, and he practically teleported over to his guardians. Ahsoka muffled her laughter with one hand. Luke could be astonishingly mature at times, but at others, especially around those he trusted, he was just so young and childish and full of life and she _loved_ it. That was something that none of them, not herself, Anakin, Padme, or Ben had ever had, and she was overjoyed that at least one member of their little family got it.

Beru looked at her over Luke's head and called, "Yes, it's perfectly alright as long as you and Ben don't mind!"

"Yes!" Luke whooped, and Ahsoka laughed aloud as his joy swept over their bond. He gave her another hug, and she messed his hair up.

"See you tomorrow, Kid," she said, affectionately tugging the Padawan braid that dangled behind his right ear. Had they lived on literally any other planet, she wouldn't have dared to give him one—it was simply too noticeable.

But Tatooine was secluded enough, and the braid looked innocent enough, that they could get away with it here. Plus, Luke had asked for it, and Ahsoka seriously needed to develop some immunity to those huge, slightly teary, pleading blue eyes. She'd caved in less than ten minutes.

She decided to just be grateful that Leia considered puppy dog eyes "too childish" to use. (She also decided right then and there to _never_ tell the girl how effectively her mother had used her own version of the Look to sway many a political opponent—the galaxy would be doomed)

Ahsoka sent one last wave of affection over the bond, then turned and sped into the desert.

* * *

Ahsoka stepped outside and yawned, stretching her arms over her head. It had been nearly five months since Luke's sixteenth life day. That had been the day she and Ben had chosen to tell him the entire truth—Vader, Leia, Palpatine, Ryven Kial'yr, Obi-Wan Kenobi—all of it.

The boy had taken it incredibly well, though Ahsoka could feel his turbulent emotions through their bond. Once the story had been told, he'd turned to her with wide, pain-filled eyes that shimmered with tears. She'd opened her arms, and he fell into them, and Obi-Wan wrapped his around her, and all three of them stayed there for a long while.

But Luke refused to let the revelation affect him. He maintained his bright, joyful outlook on life, still laughing and smiling—with the usual teenage sulking. But Ahsoka could see it in his eyes, the pain that the knowledge brought him. He didn't try to hide it from her, but neither did he dwell on it, and she knew that one day, he would be the greatest of them all.

But as for now, he was a sixteen year old moisture farmer with dreams that reached to the stars.

Ahsoka watched the suns rise, then headed back inside to help Obi-Wan with breakfast. There was an odd feeling to the air, and from Obi-Wan's subdued "Good morning, Little One," she could tell that he'd felt it too. They exchanged worried looks.

Something was going to happen today.

Whether it would be good or bad remained to be seen.

* * *

_Master?_

_**Hmm?** _

_Are you and Ben at home?_

_**Yes. Why do you ask?** _

_Uncle Owen bought a couple of droids today, from the Jawas, and one of them has a message for Ben. He says he belongs to him._

Ahsoka frowned. _**That's odd. Obi-Wan's never owned a droid. At least, not that I can remember. Describe it for me?**_

_It's an old Nubian R2 unit. Its called—_

Ahsoka distantly registered the dishes in her hands crashing to the floor. _**R2D2?!**_

_Um….yeah, actually. How did you know?_

_**He's not Obi-Wan's, he was Anakin's! I—I lost him at the end of the Clone Wars. I figured he'd been captured, or dismantled, or something.** _

Luke was silent for a long moment.

_Well. In that case, I suppose he belongs to you then, doesn't he?_

_**I—I don't know. You're his son, so you have more claim to him than I do.** _

Luke was smiling, she could tell. _No, I think he's yours. I just said your name and he went ballistic, wheeling around in circles. I don't understand binary very well, but from what the protocol droid said, he was ecstatic to hear that you're still alive._

_**Did you just say PROTOCOL DROID?!** _

_Uh, yes?_

_**C3PO?!** _

_Yes! Was he Dad's, too?_

_**No. He was your mother's. Your father built him for his—you know what? Just bring them both out here. I'll explain everything then.** _

_Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can!_

Ahsoka turned around and bolted out of the kitchen. "Obi-Wan! _Obi-Wan!_ You'll never guess who Luke just found!"

* * *

Ahsoka swore in Huttese. She was tearing apart every piece of machinery in the house and putting it back together while she waited for Luke and the droids to arrive. She couldn't believe that Artoo was still around! And C3PO! It was unbeli—

 _MASTER!_ The shout echoed in her mind, accompanied by a torrent of fear.

An abrupt spike of pain stabbed through her head, and she stumbled with a low cry. One hand flew to her montrals to try and stave off the headache that was taking up residence there, and her other hand reached out, locking onto the edge of a table to support herself.

Obi-Wan materialized by her elbow and guided her into a chair.

"Ahsoka?!" he said sharply. "What was that?"

"Luke," she gasped. "Raiders…..Luke… _Blasted Skywalkers!"_

She shot to her feet and sprinted out the door, calling her blasters to her hands with the Force.

Ahsoka sprinted out into the desert, tracking her Padawan's presence. It was sluggish, so unconscious, but it was there, so alive. She considered alive to be a success.

She could hear the Sand People now, just below her in a deep gully. She closed her eyes and reached for the Force, using it to determine where each of them were. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then dropped lightly over the edge of the gorge.

She was a good hundred meters from the Sand People, and they couldn't see her. She sucked in a deep breath and cupped her hands like Obi-Wan had showed her and screamed into them. The haunting, shrieking wail of a Krayt dragon tore through the air, and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as the Sand People leapt ten feet in the air and scattered.

She sprang from her hiding place and sprinted towards the limp form of her Padawan.

"Luke!" she called sharply, giving him a firm slap to the cheek. "Come on, Kid, wake up!"

"Ugh….M'st'r?" he mumbled, blinking up at her.

She sighed in relief and quickly reached through their bond, sending soothing waves of safety and healing. Luke sighed and rested his head on her shoulder for a moment before scrambling to his feet.

"The droids!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, boy," Ahsoka winced. "I hope Artoo at least has aged out of his disappearing acts. The Sand People will be back before long." She turned her eyes to the canyon walls. "Artoo!" she shouted. "Threepio!"

There was an instant explosion of beeps from their left, and the blue and white astromech came rolling towards them as fast as he could, letting out a continuous stream of whistles and beeps. He made a beeline straight for Ahsoka, and the Togruta dropped to her knees and hugged him.

Yes, he was a droid, but he was _their_ droid. He was special.

Artoo beeped gently, and she laughed. "Yes, Artoo, it's really me," she said. She sighed and patted his dome. He whistled and chirped.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again, either."

"You can understand him?" Luke asked, impressed.

Ahsoka grinned up at him. "Yeah."

Luke shook his head. _You never cease to surprise me, Master._

She laughed. _**I should hope not, Padawan. Otherwise, I would be dreadfully boring.**_

Luke snickered, then his head jerked up as Threepio started wailing up ahead of them.

"Oh, no," Ahsoka groaned. "He hasn't changed a bit!"

Artoo let out a string of blips.

Ahsoka gaped at him. "Seriously? A memory wipe?"

He chirped in the affirmative.

She groaned again and banged her head against his dome. "Of course."

Artoo snickered. She smacked him and stood up.

"Let's go rescue His Royal Patheticness."

* * *

By the time they got the droids to Ben's and got them cleaned up, it was too late for Luke to make the trip back home, so Ahsoka contacted Beru to let her know Luke would be staying the night.

The woman laughed. "Of course I don't mind, Ahsoka. I'm thrilled that he's being allowed to grow to his full potential! But you make sure that you're taking care of yourself, as well." She leveled the younger woman with a look that made her hold up both hands and laughingly swear to do so.

Ahsoka said goodnight to Beru, then called Luke in to do the same. She went and sat down next to Obi-Wan, who was fiddling with R2's holoprojector—there was a fair amount of sand in it, and it was taking a good deal of care to get it out without damaging R2.

"Almost got it, and then we can see this message that was so important," he muttered.

Ahsoka heard the door open behind her, and a second later Luke flopped down next to her. "Aunt Beru said to tell you two that she loves you, and she expects you to be at dinner tomorrow night."

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka grinned at the boy. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Luke," Obi-Wan assured him. "There! Now, R2, let's see this message of yours."

Artoo chirped obligingly, and a moment later a tiny hologram of—

Ahsoka sat bolt upright with a sharp sound.

It was Leia.

The message was obviously very important, but Ahsoka only heard one line:

" _Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi_. _You're my only hope_."

Ahsoka turned desperate eyes to Obi-Wan. "I cannot lose her," she said hoarsely. "We have to find her."

"Who—who is she?" Luke asked softly, eyes still riveted on the hologram. "I feel like I know her, but I don't."

Ahsoka rested a hand on his shoulder. "That's because you do. Luke, that's Leia."

His eyes got very wide. "Oh." He studied her a moment longer. "She looks different from the memories you showed me."

"Well, the last time I saw her, she was fifteen." Ahsoka pointed out. "She turned fifteen, was elected Senator of Alderaan, was inducted into the Rebel Alliance, told she had a brother, and told who I really am, all in the space of a few months." The Togruta shook her head. "She handled it incredibly well."

Luke grinned proudly. "She's amazing!" he exclaimed. "What are we waiting for? Let's go get my sister!"

"Slow down," Obi-Wan cautioned. "This isn't one of those things that you can just go tearing off, make a plan on the fly, blow everything up, and hope it works. This is going to take some actual planning."

"Master," Ahsoka said. "Every plan we've ever made has blown up in our faces. The only ones that even marginally work are the ones we make up _on the fly_ to adapt to situation changes."

Luke snickered. "I'm going to guess you blew a lot of stuff up, too."

Ahsoka winced. "No comment."

Obi-Wan sighed. "Point."

Ahsoka offered a sympathetic grimace. "Well, our first stop needs to be Alderaan," she said. "I don't know where the actual base is, but Bail will. He'll also have the information and contacts we need to find Leia and rescue her."

Luke's face suddenly fell. "But what about Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru? I can't just up and leave them. They'll be needing my help. I—I can't leave Leia, but I can't—" he turned to Ahsoka. "Master, what do I do?"

"You trust your feelings," she said simply.

He glared at her, and she rolled her eyes.

Obi-Wan laughed quietly. "I'll start packing," he said, and conveniently disappeared.

"Come on." Ahsoka dragged Luke to the room that they used for meditation, and they sat facing each other, knees just touching.

Luke quickly calmed himself and slipped into meditation, and Ahsoka sent a soft wave of pride over the bond. He responded with a quick nudge of affection.

Obi-Wan joined them eventually, and they meditated for almost an hour when they began to pick up on a foreboding feeling that was growing stronger and stronger. The older Jedi tried to trace it, but it was evasive, refusing to reveal where it was going. The feeling grew stronger and stronger, and turned into a sharp sense of danger. Ahsoka identified the victims a heartbeat before the others, and a cry of denial ripped from her throat.

Then Death screamed into the Force, and Luke screamed with it.

"NOOO!"

He shot up off the floor and tore out of the house. Ahsoka leapt after him and tackled him before he'd gotten two steps out the door.

"No, let me go! Let me go! I can still—I have to—"

Ahsoka wrapped him tight in her arms and refused to let go. His pleading turned into sobbing, and he clung to her. She rested her chin on his shoulder and let her own tears fall.

Owen and Beru. Two innocent lives. Gone. Just like everyone else that got close to her.

Warm arms wrapped around her and her charge, and Obi-Wan wrapped them both in a wave of sorrow, love and understanding.

When Luke had sobbed himself out, the older Jedi managed to get him back into the house and into bed. Ahsoka started to let go of him, but a wave of complete panic blasted through their bond, and she just situated herself against the headboard and let Luke cling to her. He put his head in her lap and looped his arms around her waist.

Silent tears still streaked down both their faces. Obi-Wan slipped in again with two extra blankets. One he oh-so-gently tucked around Luke, and the other he wrapped around Ahsoka's shoulders. He settled himself next to Ahsoka, and she tilted until her head was on his shoulder.

They mourned together all night long.

* * *

The next morning, they returned to the Lars farm with great caution, but there was no need. It was gone. Burned to the ground.

Luke didn't weep again—not when they found his almost-parents, not when they buried them, not when they climbed back in the speeder and left it behind.

Ahsoka rested a hand on his shoulder. "How are you doing?"

He offered her a tiny smile. "My heart hurts," he said softly.

Her eyes stung.

"Don't ever forget this pain, Luke." Obi-Wan said. "Don't use it to fuel your hate or anger, but use it to remind yourself that there are things in this life worth feeling that pain for."

He nodded firmly. "I will never forget them," he vowed quietly.

Ahsoka said nothing, just gripped his shoulder tight.

They returned to Obi-Wan and Ahsoka's hut, and packed up their belongings. While Obi-Wan exchanged his robes for something a little more discreet, Ahsoka changed her features until she was once again Ryven Kial'yr.

Luke's eyebrows went up when she stepped out of the fresher. "Um, excuse me, ma'am?" he said.

"What?" she said, confused.

"Have you seen my Master?" he continued, keeping a straight face. "She's a Togruta like yourself, only with blue eyes and—"

"Oh, shut up you insolent little brat!"

She lunged forward, grabbing him and dragging him into a headlock. He wormed out of it and snickered. She met his eyes and he nodded once to her. A part of him was broken, but he would make it. He wasn't giving up anytime soon. She nodded back, and sent him a wave of pride through the bond.

"Alright," Ben said as he tossed the last pack into the skyhopper. "That's all of it." He looked at Ryven. "Mos Eisley?"

She grimaced, but nodded. "We can hire a smuggler to get us to Alderaan," she said. "The Cantina's our best bet."

"Lovely," Ben drawled.

Luke snorted. "And here we go."

"A Kenobi, A Skywalker, and a Tano," Ben shook his head with a rueful grin. "What could go wrong?"

* * *

Ryven lounged carelessly against the speeder. Luke and Ben were inside the Mos Eisley Cantina, searching for a pilot. She had volunteered to keep watch over the speeder and the droids.

So far, a Chiss, a Bith, and seven Jawas had tried to steal either the speeder or the droids. Threepio she protected. Artoo?

She sat back and smirked as the little astromech shocked the Force out of his would-be abductors.

The Bith had been pretty insistent, but she drew a blaster in her right hand and a vibroblade with her left and bared her fangs, and he backed off pretty quick. After that, she'd been mostly left alone with the exception of the Jawas.

Eventually, her companions came out of the Cantina, the younger of the two smirking in victory.

She straightened up and uncrossed her arms. "We got a pilot?"

Luke grinned. "Yep! He and his copilot are going to meet us in Docking Bay…" he faltered. "Um…"

"Ninety-four," Ben supplied.

Luke grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. There."

Ryven laughed and tugged on his braid. "Then we should probably get going."

They grabbed their packs and sold the speeder to one of the half a million Jawas milling around.

Luke watched it go, and Ryven could feel his sorrow at losing the last piece of his past. She gently mussed his hair and sent him a wave of reassurance and understanding. He offered her a small smile.

"Thanks, _Ryven,_ " he said, mocking her "name."

She rolled her eyes and slugged him in the shoulder. "Shut up, Skywalker."

He rubbed his arm and snickered, and Ben sighed with mock exasperation.

They reached Bay 94 soon enough, and as soon as he saw the ship, Ben stopped short. "Oh, no."

Ryven doubled up with laughter.

"What?" Luke asked, confused.

"Not _another_ one," the oldest Jedi groaned, ignoring him completely.

Ryven just laughed harder.

"What?!" Luke asked again.

"And here—I-I thought that you— _ha ha!—_ loved the _Twilight,_ M—Master!" Ryven gasped between shouts of amusement.

Ben massaged the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. "And here _I_ thought I was finally _done_ skipping from one side of the galaxy to the other on a piece of junk that was just as likely to explode as it was to fly."

Ryven cracked up again, leaning on her apprentice, and even Luke was snickering now.

"She'll make .5 past lightspeed."

The voice sounded from under the boarding ramp, and a moment later, a human male came into view, wiping his hands off on a cloth. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, old man."

"I think she's beautiful," Ryven said with a sickly sweet smile at Ben.

A low roaring sound came from inside the ship, and Ryven's hands dropped to her blasters as she stepped in front of Luke.

"Relax!" the pilot held up his hands. "It's just my copilot." He turned to shout up the ramp. "It's just the passengers, Chewie! No need to worry!"

Ryven's eyes widened. " _Chewie_?" she whispered. Ben caught his breath, and Luke shot them both a confused look.

A series of low growls and roars was the response, drawing closer and closer. A tall, chestnut-furred, blue-eyed Wookie strode down the ramp, and Ryven's mouth dropped open.

"Chewbacca?!" she shouted in disbelief.

The Wookie stared at her and growled a question.

"It _is_ you!" she shook her head in astonishment. "Remember me? I was with you on Wasskah!" She laughed and leaped forwards. "You big walking carpet, c'mere, you!"

Chewbacca's eyes widened, and he roared in delight, striding towards her and sweeping her up into his massive arms. They embraced tightly for a moment, then he released her and she stepped back, staring at him.

"I don't believe it!" she exclaimed. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"

[Nor I you, Ahsoka Tano] Chewbacca replied. [I was with Grand Master Yoda when Order 66 came through, and I believed that you had died.]

Her smile faded. "No, I'm still here." She sighed and crossed her arms. "But I'm something of a fugitive now." She gestured to herself. "Hence the disguise."

"Wait, wait, wait," the human interrupted, looking back and forth between them. "You know each other?" he looked at Chewie. "You know her?" he looked at her. "You can understand him?"

Ryven laughed. "Yes, we know each other. We met during the Clone Wars."

The man's eyes widened. "Oh."

[This is the Togruta I have told you about] Chewbacca told him. [The one that saved me from the Trandoshans. Her name is Ahsoka Tano, and she is a great friend to my people.] He turned to Ryven. [This is Han Solo. He rescued me from slavery to the empire.]

Ryven shook her head at him. "What is it with you and getting yourself captured. Did you have to build a transmitter out of wreckage again?"

He laughed. [I did try, but I was caught. However] his eyes sparkled, [it was significantly easier without the naysaying Twi'lek in the background.]

Ryven burst out laughing again. "I bet!"

"Um…..Ryven?" Luke ventured from behind her. "Who is this?"

Ryven turned to him with a smile. "Luke, this is Chewbacca. We met on Wasskah, when we were both captured by Trandoshan hunters. Chewbacca, this is Luke Skywalker, my apprentice."

The Wookie made a sound of surprise. [Skywalker? Like your Master?]

She nodded, a rueful smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "This is his son."

The Wookie laughed. Then he faced Luke and bowed. [It is an honor, Youngling] he said. [I never thought I would see the day that the Jedi returned, and yet here are three before me.]

Ryven's eyes stung with tears as she translated for the other two.

Ben stepped forward and offered his own bow to the warrior. "I remember you, Chewbacca. And believe me when I say that we are equally honored."

Luke's eyes were still wide with amazement, but he quickly sketched his own bow. "Wow!" he muttered. "Master, I swear sometimes you know every being in this galaxy."

She snorted. "Hardly."

The pilot, Han, was gaping at the Togruta. " _Ahsoka Tano?!_ " he repeated, dumbfounded. "As in, the apprentice of the Hero With No Fear?"

She offered a tiny smile. "Not anymore. I go by Ryven these days. Ryven Kial'yr."

Han raised an eyebrow. "Not the bounty hunter that taught Princess Leia of Alderaan?"

She smirked. "The one and only."

Han started to grin, but then his eyes locked on something behind them. "Oh, karabast," he muttered. "Ah, I might have forgotten to mention that we're on something of a time limit here, so we should probably be going. Like, now."

Ryven's eyes narrowed. Her hands started to drift towards her blasters.

_**Get on the ship. NOW.** _

Luke nodded and grabbed Ben's arm. "Let's go."

The old man raised an amused eyebrow in Ryven's direction. "It has begun."

She couldn't quite bite back her snicker, and Chewbacca snorted as he guided the youngest and oldest of their passengers onboard.

"Right," Han muttered. "Just let me—"

"There they are! Don't let them escape!"

Ryven whipped around, drawing her blasters and swearing as a group of Stormtroopers poured through the door, already blasting.

She snarled and returned fire, leaping to guard the smuggler as he darted for the boarding ramp.

"Let's go, Kial'yr!" Han shouted, whipping his own blaster out and laying down cover fire for her.

She sprinted past him, punching the ramp controls on her way to the cockpit.

"Chewie!" she shouted. "Get us out of here!"

[Where is Han?] he roared back.

"He's right behind me, and so are half a platoon of bucket heads! Now _move it!_ "

By the time the bounty hunter and the smuggler skidded into the cockpit, the _Millennium Falcon_ had already blasted out of the port.

Ryven started laughing, slumping against the wall since all the seats were taken. "Well, that was fun."

Luke shook his head at her, eyes sparkling with amusement. "You weren't kidding when you said that none of your plans ever work."

"Hey!" she protested over Ben's half-smothered laughter. "We're all in one piece, and made it off the planet with our ship _intact._ I'd call that success."

"Yes, but was the plan _really_ just blast our way out of Mos Eisley under fire from Stormtroopers?"

Ryven opened her mouth to answer, then had to close it again. She settled for just aiming a smack at his head, which he dodged with ease of practice, snickering.

Han slumped back against his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. "You people are _crazy._ "

"Oh, please, like we haven't ever heard _that_ before," Ryven snorted.

Ben shot her a quelling look, and she subsided with an unrepentant grin. "Yes, well, that aside, we do need to reach Alderaan with all possible haste."

"Right," Han muttered. "Let's get those coordinates in, Chewie."

The Wookie gave a growl of agreement and started flipping switches.

* * *

Ryven was sitting at the table, splitting her attention between C3PO's attempts to placate Chewbacca and Luke's training. The boy was excelling, as usual. And as usual, he maintained his cheerful, gentle, humble personality.

Luke finished the exercise and powered down his saber, using the Force to shut off the probe and put it away before turning to Ryven.

She gave him a smile. "Well done, Padawan."

He grinned and bowed. "Thank you, Master."

Ben nodded. "Your skills have come so far in such a short amount of time—it's truly incredible."

Luke blushed. "Thank you, Ben."

Ryven pushed herself to her feet and ruffled Luke's air. "Another year or so of this, and you won't need me any—"

_Pain. Pain. Pain. Death. Loss. Fear. Grief. Pain. Screaming. Death. Death. Death. Death._

" _Ahhh!"_ Ryven staggered, one hand going to her head, the other desperately grasping at the wall to keep herself upright.

Luke _screamed_ and collapsed to the floor, hands ripping at his hair.

Ben turned absolutely white and half-fell back into his chair, one hand rising to rest over his heart.

[Ahsoka!] Chewbacca reached for the Togruta, but she waved him away and gestured towards Luke. The Wookie knelt and lifted the boy, lowering him onto a bench. [Han! _Han!_ ]

"Wha—what was _that?_ " Luke rasped out, voice hoarse.

Ryven trembled. "I don't—I don't know. I haven't felt anything like it since—"she cut herself off and closed her eyes, one hand rising to her forehead.

"There was a great disturbance in the Force," Ben said quietly.

Han skidded into the room, blaster out. "What's wrong?!" he demanded. "I heard screaming—"he broke off, staring at the Jedi. "What _happened?!"_ He quickly holstered his blaster and bolted over to Ryven, catching her just as she staggered. He guided her to the table and lowered her down, and she folded her arms on it and dropped her head on them with a groan.

"What _happened?"_ Han repeated, one hand lingering on Ryven's shoulder like he wasn't entirely convinced she wouldn't just topple out of her seat as soon as he let go.

[Something in the Force] Chewie answered. [I do not know exactly what it was, but it was powerful indeed, to have such an effect on Jedi Masters.]

"Not a Master," Ryven corrected without raising her head.

"Well, you're _my_ Master," Luke pointed out. He had regained most of his color now, and was beginning to push gentle waves of healing across the bond.

Ryven felt her shoulders relax as the lingering pain in her mind began to fade. She straightened slowly, wincing as her back popped. "Ugh. The downside of being Force-sensitive."

"No kidding," Han said. He ran his hand through his hair. "You know, literally ten minutes ago, I would have told you that the Force was nothing more than a bunch of hocus pocus."

Ben gave a weary laugh. "I assure you, it is anything but."

"Yeah," Han shook his head. "I think I got that."

* * *

It took almost a half an hour, but the last vestiges of pain finally vanished, and the Jedi returned to the cockpit fully recovered.

"You good?" Han asked without turning to look at them.

"Yeah," Ryven said. She ruffled Luke's hair and he half-heartedly swatted at her. "We're fine."

"Good," the smuggler flipped a few switches and reached for the hyperdrive lever. "Because we have arrived at— _what the kriff?!"_

The ship shuddered as she dropped out of hyperspace into an asteroid field.

Luke was thrown out of his seat and Ryven hit the wall before the pilots managed to regain control and steady the spacecraft.

"What is this?" Ryven cried, staring out the viewport. "There's not an asteroid field within sixty parsecs of Alderaan!"

"I know!" Han snapped. "But here it is! Unless it's just a random meteor collision. But I don't see Alderaan. And unless Chewie put in the wrong coordinates—"

[I did no such thing!] the Wookie roared.

"—then something is _really_ wrong!" the smuggler finished.

"Ben?" Luke said suddenly, drawing their attention.

The old man was staring at the chunks of rock going by with something resembling horror.

"Ahsoka….." he said softly.

Ryven's eyes got wide. "Master?" she murmured softly, going to kneel beside him. Ben had used her real name—that was _not_ a good sign.

"Ahsoka, this _is_ Alderaan," he told her, voice thin.

Her heart stopped. "…. _what?"_ she gasped.

"They're not asteroids," he said. "Ahsoka…."

"No," she whispered, shooting to her feet. "No, no, _no, NO!"_

Luke turned white. "Master?" he whispered. "Was Leia—"

She whirled on him. " _NO!_ No, they _can't_ be—"

Luke didn't let her finish. He tackled her, clinging to her with a strength that his wiry frame belied. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

_Bail. Breha._

Her arms closed around him automatically.

Her mind was still screaming.

* * *

She hadn't let go of her Padawan when Han said quietly, "What could make a planet disappear like that?"

"The Empire," Ben answered.

"That's ridiculous. The entire Starfleet couldn't destroy a _planet._ It would take over a thousand ships with more firepower than I've ever—"

An alert went off on the controls, and Han broke off, staring at it.

"There's another ship coming in," he warned.

Luke focused for a heartbeat. "It's an Imperial fighter," he told them grimly.

Ryven set her jaw, releasing her apprentice from her hold as a TIE fighter screamed overhead.

"It followed us!" Luke exclaimed.

"No," she answered absently, "it's a short range fighter. Couldn't get this deep in space on its own."

"There aren't any bases around here," Han said tersely. "Where did it come from?"

"It sure is leaving in a hurry," Luke said. "If they identify us, we're in _big_ trouble."

"Not if I can help it," Han said. "Chewie, jam its transmissions."

Ryven let one side of her mouth screw up. "It's too far out of range," she muttered.

"Not for long!" Han poured on the speed, and the freighter raced after the TIE, closing the distance.

"He's heading for that small moon!" Luke said.

"I think I can get him before he gets there," Han said, fingers dancing across the console. "Almost in range…."

Ryven felt Ben stiffen beside her as dread washed over her through the Force.

"That's no moon," Ben said grimly. "It's a space station."

"No," Han objected. "It's too big to be a space station."

"I have a very bad feeling about this," Luke murmured as the station grew larger in the viewport.

[You and I both, young Skywalker] Chewie growled.

Ryven swallowed hard. "Add me to the list," she muttered. "Turn the _Falcon_ around, Han. Preferably now."

"Yeah," the smuggler murmured, eyes still locked on the station. "I think you're right…..Full reverse, Chewie, lock in auxiliary power."

The Wookie growled in agreement, but the ship abruptly began to jerk and tremble—still moving towards the station.

"Oh, no," Ryven groaned, recognizing the sensation easily enough.

"What?" Luke turned to her.

"Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power!" Han repeated, just a tinge of panic in his voice.

[I did!]

"Tractor beam," she snapped.

Chewie closed his eyes, and Ben dropped his head into his hands.

"Oh, this is _not_ good," Luke said, "very much not good!"

"Well, they're not getting' me without a fight!" Han snarled.

"We can't win," Ben cautioned, "but there are alternatives to fighting."

Ryven felt her lips curl up.

The General was back, and Force have mercy on his enemies.

* * *

The last pair of boots finally went down the ramp, and the Ryven carefully scrambled out of the stuffy hole in the floor. "What do you _put_ in there?" she hissed, wrinkling her nose.

"I use 'em for smuggling," Han grunted, pulling himself up after her. "Never thought I'd be smuggling _myself_ in 'em." He glared after the Stormtroopers. "Even if I _could_ take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam."

"Leave that to me," Ben told him.

"Blasted fool, I knew you were gonna say that," Han groaned.

"Who's more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?" was Ben's dry response.

[The one who follows him] was Chewie's instant reply. [Especially if it happens to be _that_ fool.] He jerked his head at Han.

Ryven laughed softly. "I'll go with you, Ben," she said.

But Ben gave her a quick smile and a shake of his head. "You stay with Luke. It's better that the two of us stay apart. Less chances of capture."

She winced. "True. But with our track record, I'll be seeing you in the cell across from mine in—oh, I'd say an hour. Maybe two. Sound right?"

He laughed. "Just about."

Luke rolled his eyes and muttered grumpily, "Just for once, can we go into a situation actually expecting to _win?!"_

Chewbacca huffed a laugh. [It would not appear so.]

Ryven didn't bother to translate, just smirked and ran her hands over her weapons, ensuring they were all in place.

"Well then," she sighed. "I suppose we should start by getting rid of the guards."

* * *

Ten minutes later, they had two sets of Stormtrooper armor. Luke and Han scrambled into them, and they made their way to a closed terminal with Chewie carefully staying in the shadows. They only had to threaten Threepio nine times to _shut up or be dismembered_. Ryven and Ben slunk along behind them, using the Force to redirect any crew member who looked like he might notice them.

They slipped into the terminal and shut the door behind them, locking it.

Luke and Han ripped off their helmets with matching expressions of disgust.

"Never thought I'd see the day I actually felt sorry for a Stormtrooper," the smuggler groused.

Ryven rolled her eyes. "Threepio, have you located the main computer yet?"

"Yes, ma'am," the protocol droid replied.

"R2?" she waved a hand at the little droid. "You know what to do."

R2 let out a string of whistles as he wheeled forwards and easily hacked into the framework. After a bit, he started chirping and bleeping, and Ryven quickly translated for Ben.

"He's found the main controls for the beam," she said. "He's going to pull it up on the monitor."

Artoo kept beeping.

"The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations," Ryven repeated. "A loss at any of them will disable it."

The diagram zoomed in on the closest terminal, and Ben nodded decisively. "Stay with the droids," he told Ryven and Luke. "Protect them. The information they carry _must_ reach its destination, or countless other star systems will meet the same fate as Alderaan."

Ryven's back straightened and Luke's jaw set. They nodded in unison, and their eyes burned with determination.

Ben gently clapped a hand on each of their shoulders. "Work together and trust each other. You are powerful warriors, and truly great Jedi. I am proud of you, and I know you will succeed. May the Force be with you."

"And you, Master," they murmured in unison.

Ben gave them both a smile, and then he slipped out of the door.

* * *

Ryven slouched against the wall while Han made himself comfortable in one of the chairs. Chewie stood guard by the door, and Luke started pacing back and forth.

She watched him go from one side of the room to the other and back again and again and again and—

_**You know, if you keep doing that, Han might actually combust.** _

Luke snorted. _I don't think so._

Ryven considered the smuggler for a moment. _**I give him ten more seconds.**_

_I say two more minutes._

She smirked. _**Ten credits says you're wrong.**_

_You're on!_

Luke had a little smile on his face, obviously sure of his victory.

Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and—

"Will you _please_ sit down?!" Han exploded.

"Ha!" Ryven shouted victoriously.

Luke swore in Huttese as she held out her hand for her winnings. He slapped the credits down with a scowl, but his eyes were sparkling.

"Wha—" Han started.

Ryven stretched her arms over her head, grinning. "I bet ten credits that you were going to lose your patience with him within ten seconds. He bet two minutes. I won."

Han stared at them incredulously. "We are sitting on an Imperial space station that is the size of a small planet, and you two are making bets about how long it takes me to lose my patience?"

"Yep!" Luke said, cheerfully tackling his Master.

She shoved him back and mussed his hair.

Han looked at Chewie. "We're gonna die."

Chewie laughed.

Their smiles faded, however, when Artoo practically exploded, hopping up and down.

"What do you mean, Princess Leia is here?" Threepio said.

" _What."_ Ryven shoved past the smuggler and her apprentice to reach the droid.

Artoo let out another stream of whistles.

"He says—" Threepio started.

"I can understand him just fine," she cut him off. "What do you mean, Leia's here?" she crouched down next to the astromech.

There was another explosion of beeps and whistles, and Ryven staggered back with a strangled gasp, her face pale.

"No!"

"What's wrong?!" Luke jumped forwards, gripping her shoulders.

[Ahsoka?] Chewie shoved off the wall.

Han took his feet off the control board and slowly straightened, drawing his blaster.

"He—he said—" she stammered, hands shaking.

"Artoo has discovered that the Princess is being held captive on this very station," Threepio said primly. "And—she has been sentenced to die in the morning."


End file.
